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Computing at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Course summary

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview Millions of people rely on sophisticated technology every day – measuring our health goals, tracking our spending, or using networks like the internet and cloud computing to connect with our families, friends and workplaces. Be part of creating future transformative technology as you harness computing, embrace the world of AI, and make your mark on the lives of millions. On this BSc (Hons) Computing degree, you’ll learn how to turn your interest in computing into a career. You’ll develop skills across topics such as software engineering, programming, interface design and evaluation, databases, and network management and security. You'll be able to use these skills, and those you choose to specialise in, to build a career as a computing professional in any number of fast-paced industries, including finance, construction, transport, technology, health and government. Course highlights

  • Tailor your degree to match your career ambitions and interests, with optional modules such as 3D animation, ethical hacking, the Internet of Things and cryptography
  • Get the chance to attend workplace trips, pop-up lectures and hack days where you'll collaborate on projects with other students and solve challenging problems
  • Benefit from our Student Union clubs and societies, such as the IT Society, AI and Robotics Club and Gaming Society
  • Apply your skills to real issues through our work with charities and organisations such as Code Club, which places students in afterschool clubs to help 9-13-year-olds with their Scratch, HTML/CSS, and Python projects
Accreditation This course is accredited by the British Computer Society, partially meeting the educational requirement for CITP. Careers and opportunities With 95% of our course graduates in work or further study after they graduate, it's clear that the skills you learn on this course are in line with what employers are looking for. What's more, you're likely to graduate into a market where your computing skills are highly sought after – in April 2021, more than 40,000 'open' job roles asked for related computer science skills and qualifications. If you want to push the limits of where computing can go, you could continue your studies to MSc or PhD level, specialising in areas such as health informatics, forensic IT and networking. Graduate destinations Our graduates have worked for companies such as:
  • BAE Systems
  • Fujitsu
  • Barclays
  • Metricell
  • Macquarie
What jobs you can do with a computing degree? Our graduates now work in roles including:
  • cognitive global market developer
  • field application engineer
  • IT business analyst
  • network performance developer
  • software developer
Interested in becoming a Computer Science teacher? You can combine your computing studies with teacher training and school teaching placements by taking the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) pathway. If successful, you'll save an extra year of study, get a £9,000 bursary in your final year of study and get Qualified Teacher Status with your BSc Computing degree. "My degree has helped me immensely with a job opportunity, new skills, interests and knowledge, and also much needed experience in a real-world IT environment." Daniel Evans, Computing Student

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Architecture and Operating Systems (20 credits)
  • Core Computing Concepts (20 credits)
  • Database Systems Development (20 credits)
  • Networks (20 credits)
  • Programming (40 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. Year 2 Core modules in this year include:
  • Business Information Systems Security (20 credits)
  • Database Principles (20 credits)
  • Operating Systems and Internetworking (20 credits)
  • Software Engineering Theory and Practice (20 credits)
  • User Experience Design and Implementation (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
  • 3D Computer Graphics and Animation (20 credits)
  • Big Data (20 credits)
  • Computing Undergraduate Ambassador (20 credits)
  • Data Analytics and Visualisation (20 credits)
  • Ethical Hacking (20 credits)
  • Exchange Study Abroad (40 credits)
  • Security and Cryptography (20 credits)
  • Web Programming (20 credits)
Year 3 Core modules in this year include:
  • Advanced Networks (20 credits)
  • Individual Project (Engineering) (40 credits)
  • Usability Testing (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
  • Advanced Database Concepts (20 credits)
  • Artificial Intelligence (20 credits)
  • Business Analytics (20 credits)
  • Computer Science Teaching Placement (40 credits)
  • Digital Enterprise and Innovation (20 credits)
  • Graphics and Computer Vision (20 credits)
  • Internet of Things (20 credits)
  • IT and Internetworking Security (20 credits)
  • Practical Data Analytics and Mining (20 credits)
  • Project Management (20 credits)
  • Security and Cryptography (20 credits)
  • Security Management (20 credits)
Exchange study abroad or placement year (optional) On this course, you can do an optional study abroad or work placement year after your 2nd or 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

How you're assessed You’ll be assessed through:

  • multiple choice tests
  • essays and portfolio work
  • written exams
  • mini projects
  • presentations
  • case studies
  • blogs
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future. The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
  • Year 1 students: 33% by written exams and 67% by coursework
  • Year 2 students: 35% by written exams, 3% by practical exams and 62% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 22% by written exams and 78% by coursework

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • British Computer Society

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
PTE Academic62An overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
85%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
100%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9535 Year 1
England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
International £19200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad (at the time of publishing for 2025/26): UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,430 EU – £1,430 International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Please check the course page on our website for the most up to date fee information. All fees are subject to annual increase. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Computing at University of Portsmouth - UCAS